The US intelligence reports that Israel is mulling strikes on Iran's nuclear programme has put the Islamic Republic on its toes that it has fortified security around key nuclear and missile sites, according to a report.
Iran has placed additional security on its nuclear sites, including air defence system launchers, fearing a joint US-Israel attack, according to The Telegraph. "They [Iranian authorities] are just waiting for the attack and are anticipating it every night and everything has been on high alert – even in sites that no one knows about," the report quoted an unnamed source.
Though Iran has been fortifying its nuclear sites for years, the recent incidents which saw Iran launching its first attack, has pushed it to intensify it, the source added. "Recent developments, including Donald Trump’s comments and reports about potential plans from his administration to strike Iran, have further intensified activities," the report added.
WATCH | A new nuclear agreement could provide a pathway to de-escalation, rolling back Iran’s nuclear advancements in exchange for sanctions relief. However, achieving such an outcome will require overcoming deep-seated mistrust and addressing the reality that Iran’s technical… pic.twitter.com/LohU1LeIrS
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Iran's pre-emptive measures come as the Washington Post reported that there could be attacks on Iran’s nuclear program could come by midyear. Israel was likely to attempt an attack on Iran’s Fordo and Natanz nuclear facilities, the Post report added.
The possibility of an attack was also highlighted by a former CIA veteran Colin Winston, who laid down a succinct case for an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The former head of research at the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Winston argues that Hezbollah and Hamas no longer pose a threat to Israel. "The Islamic Republic of Iran’s ‘axis of resistance’ lies in ruin. Both Iran’s and Syria’s air defence systems have been destroyed, and Iran’s missile capabilities decimated," he said.
"Despite this, Iran is on the verge of producing enough weapons-grade uranium to build several bombs – so close, in fact, that relying on a timely warning from US or Israeli intelligence of Iran’s imminent ‘breakout’ may no longer be a reliable strategy," he said, arguing that now was the time for Israel and US to take military action against Iran's nuclear programme.
